You are here: / / MOTHER CANNOT RECOVER DAMAGES FOR EMOTIONAL DISTRESS FOR INJURY IN UTERO...
, ,

MOTHER CANNOT RECOVER DAMAGES FOR EMOTIONAL DISTRESS FOR INJURY IN UTERO WHERE, AS HERE, THE CHILD WAS BORN ALIVE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined plaintiff-mother’s action for damages for emotional harm stemming from the birth of her child was properly dismissed. A mother cannot recover for emotional distress for injury in utero if the child is born alive:

A mother cannot recover damages for emotional harm where the alleged malpractice causes in utero injury to a fetus that is born alive … . New York State Public Health Law defines a “live birth” as “the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother or a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, which, after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart”  … . According to the defendants’ submissions, the plaintiff’s infant was born with a spontaneous heartbeat of less than 60 beats per minute and was given an Apgar score of “1” at 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes after delivery based on a heartbeat of less than 100 beats per minute. The hospital records submitted with the defendants’ motions show that respiratory effort was absent, the infant’s muscle tone was flaccid, her color was “blue/pale,” and there were no reflex responses. The records also show that resuscitative efforts were initiated, but the infant’s heart rate remained at less than 60 beats per minute with no respiratory effort, and the infant died in the delivery room that same day, less than 20 minutes after she was born. …

In opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact. The plaintiff submitted the affidavit of a medical expert in pediatric neurology who conceded that the infant was born with a heartbeat and who never opined that the infant was stillborn. Although the plaintiff’s expert attested that the infant did not show signs of brain activity, was never conscious, was not viable, and was “clinically and legally dead at the time of delivery,” the affidavit of the plaintiff’s expert was insufficient to raise an issue of fact as to whether the infant was stillborn … . Inasmuch as the plaintiff contends that she should be able to recover for emotional injuries because a wrongful death cause of action on behalf of the infant would not have a viable accompanying cause of action for conscious pain and suffering since the records show that the infant was never conscious, “we conclude that this is an inherent aspect of wrongful death actions rather than a specific problem with prenatal medical malpractice actions” … . Waring v Matalon, 2020 NY Slip Op 03686, Second Dept 7-1-20

 

You might also like
Criteria for Professional Negligence Actions Against Accountant Not in Privity with Plaintiff and Against Actuary
THE PROOF THE DEFENDANT WAS PROPERLY SERVED WAS NOT REBUTTED BY THE DEFENDANT’S UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS, SUPREME COURT REVERSED (SECOND DEPT).
THE CERTIFICATION ORDER DIRECTING PLAINTIFF TO FILE A NOTE OF ISSUE WITHIN 90 DAYS WAS NOT A VALID 90-DAY NOTICE PURSUANT TO CPLR 3216; THE ACTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED AND THE CROSS-MOTION TO EXTEND THE TIME FOR FILING A NOTE OF ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).
PLANNING BOARD’S APPROVAL OF DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING WETLANDS NEEDED APPROVAL BY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, REQUEST FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).
ALTHOUGH THE ERROR WAS DEEMED HARMLESS, THE FORENSIC STATISTICAL TOOL (FST) DNA ANALYSIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ADMITTED WITHOUT HOLDING A FRYE HEARING (SECOND DEPT).
No Evidence Release Invalidated by Fraud or Duress
ALTHOUGH NO OBJECTIONS WERE MADE TO THE PROSECUTOR’S NUMEROUS INAPPROPRIATE REMARKS, THE APPEAL WAS CONSIDERED IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE AND A NEW TRIAL WAS ORDERED (SECOND DEPT).
INSURANCE COMPANY NOT VICARIOUSLY LIABLE FOR AN ALLEGED CIVIL ASSAULT AND BATTERY BY A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, THE INVESTIGATOR WAS DEEMED A SUBCONTRACTOR, NOT AN EMPLOYEE (SECOND DEPT).

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2024 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS ON THE GROUND OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS IN... QUESTIONS OF FACT WHETHER THE CONTINUOUS REPRESENTATION DOCTRINE TOLLED THE...